The present invention relates generally to rocker switches, and more particularly to a new and improved rocker switch which has snap dome contacts incorporated therein so as to provide the rocker switch with a shortened actuation stroke and a tactile feel which is desirable in connection with switch applications which require rapidly or accurately controlled incremental movements in both a positive and negative sense, or in other words, applications which comprise incremental movements in opposite directions.
Rocker switch assemblies or mechanisms are of course well-known in the electrical switch industry. Examples of rocker switches may be found within U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,815 which issued on May 23, 2000 to Joseph J. Spedale, U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,269 which issued on Nov. 9, 1999 to Richard W. Sorenson, U.S Pat. No. 5,950,812 which issued on Sep. 14, 1999 to Tanacan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,303 which issued on Feb. 2, 1999 to Gernhardt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,918 which issued on Feb. 4, 1997 to Malecke et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,380 which issued to Kiyotaka Naitou on Dec. 17, 1996. Snap-dome contact assemblies are likewise well-known in the industry and have been employed within a wide variety of applications. Exemplary snap-dome type contact assemblies are disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,084 which issued to Brad A. Armstrong on Dec. 7, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,228 which issued on Nov. 16, 1999 to Okamoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,555 which issued on Jul. 20, 1999 to Sadamori et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,147 which issued on Apr. 27, 1999 to Domzalski et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,522 which issued on Jun. 12, 1990 to Ronald C. Celander, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,988 which issued on Jan. 9, 1990 to Toshihiro Ishii.
As can readily be seen and appreciated from the aforenoted patents directed toward the snap-dome contact assemblies, snap-dome contacts are usually used within panel or membrane type applications. Similarly, as can readily be seen and appreciated from the aforenoted patents directed toward the rocker switch assemblies and systems, while such conventional rocker switches are obviously quite satisfactory with respect to their operation or performance in connection with certain predeterminedly designed modes of operation or applications, the required throw or movement of such rocker switches, when activated for performing, for example, a circuit closure connection, is larger than required or desired for other operative modes or applications, such as for example, small throw and rapidly controllable operational movements for providing operatively associated servo drive mechanisms with rapidly and accurately controllable oppositely oriented incremental movements. In addition, when such rocker switches are to be utilized in connection with the aforenoted small throw, rapidly performed incremental movements, it is also often desired for the operator to experience or receive tactile feedback in order for the operator to properly, suitably, or accurately control the desired implementation of the aforenoted incremental movements as well as to sense the closure of the contact members in order to effectively confirm completion of the contact and the ensuing servo movement.
Unfortunately, the structure comprising conventiontional PRIOR ART rocker switches does not enable such switch assemblies to effectively provide the requisite amount of tactile feedback to the operator. For example, while a lever or rocker-type switch mechanism or assembly as disclosed within the aforenoted patent to Malecke et al. comprises a pivotal lever member 104, and a pair of dome switches 122, 124, as specifically disclosed within FIG. 8A, the substantially lateral or horizontal movement of the lever member 104, as well as the interdisposition of plunger components 126,128 between the lower end portions of the lever member 104 and the dome switches 122,124, fails to provide or facilitate the necessary tactile feedback back to the operator. Still yet further, in order to achieve movement of the conventional rocker switches back to their original non-depressed states, separate return spring mechanisms or components are often required, and accordingly, the provision of such additional mechanisms or components renders the rocker switch assemblies more expensive to manufacture.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved rocker switch assembly wherein small throw and rapidly controllable oppositely oriented movements are able to be achieved while providing control operators with requisite tactile feedback, and wherein, in addition, the number of different components comprising the switch mechanism or assembly is minimized so as to render the same relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved rocker switch assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved rocker switch assembly which effectively overcomes the various operational drawbacks characteristic of conventional PRIOR ART rocker switch assemblies.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved rocker switch assembly which can provide small throw, rapidly controllable operational movements for providing operatively associated servo drive mechanisms with rapidly and accurately controllable oppositely oriented incremental movements.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved rocker switch assembly which can effectively provide the operator with a requisite amount of tactile feedback in order to facilitate the rapid and accurate control by the operator of the rocker switch mechanism in order to achieve small throw, rapidly controllable operational movements for providing operatively associated servo drive mechanisms with rapidly and accurately controllable oppositely oriented incremental movements.
A last object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved rocker switch assembly which comprises a minimal number of operative components so as to render the assembly relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention through the provision of a new and improved rocker switch mechanism or assembly which comprises a rocker switch housing within which there is disposed a pair of vertically oriented circuit-control contact pins, as well as a common ground plate having a vertically dependent ground contact pin integrally connected thereto. A pair of snap-dome contacts are respectively operatively associated with each one of the pair of vertically oriented circuit-control contact pins such that when each snap-dome contact is disposed in its normal, non-depressed state, the central, uppermost portion of each snap-dome contact is disposed above its respective circuit-control contact pin so as to be out of contact with, or be disengaged from, such circuit-control contact pin whereby the particular electrical circuit is disposed in an OPEN state. A rocker member is pivotally mounted upon the rocker switch housing and is integrally provided with a pair of vertically dependent snap-dome actuators or posts such that lower end extremity portions of the actuators or posts are respectively normally disposed substantially in contact with the central, uppermost portion of each snap-dome contact.
Accordingly, when a first one of the two opposite end portions of the rocker member is depressed downwardly so as to pivot the rocker member upon the rocker switch housing in, for example, a first clockwise direction, its operatively associated post-type actuator immediately causes depression of the central portion of its respective snap-dome contact so as to move the central portion of the respective snap-dome contact into contact engagement with its operatively associated circuit-control contact pin whereby a first one of two electrical circuits is now disposed in a CLOSED state. Upon removal of the depression force from the rocker member, the depressed snap-dome contact inherently returns to its normal non-depressed state thereby again opening the previously CLOSED first electrical circuit and the rocker member moves back to its normal central OFF position. In a similar manner, when a second one of the two opposite end portions of the rocker member is depressed downwardly so as to pivot the rocker member upon the rocker switch housing in, for example, a second opposite counterclockwise direction, its operatively associated post-type actuator immediately causes depression of the central portion of its respective snap-dome contact so as to move the central portion of the respective snap-dome contact into contact engagement with its operatively associated circuit-control contact pin whereby a second one of the two electrical circuits is now disposed in a CLOSED state. Upon removal of the depression force from the rocker member, the depressed snap-dome contact inherently returns to its normal non-depressed state thereby again opening the previously CLOSED second electrical circuit and the rocker member moves back to its normal central OFF position.
It can thus be appreciated that as a result of the lower extremity portions of the rocker member actuators or posts being normally disposed substantially in contact with the central portions of the snap-dome contacts when the snap-dome contacts are disposed in their normal, non-depressed, non-actuated states, the throw or movement of the rocker member, in order to achieve circuit closure, is substantially shortened. In addition, since the actuator posts comprise integral, one-piece component parts of the rocker member, and again, since the actuator posts have their lower extremity portions normally disposed substantially in contact with the central portions of the snap-dome contacts, the operator is provided with the requisite amount of tactile feedback. Accordingly, rapid and accurate control by the operator of the rocker switch mechanism in order to, in turn, achieve rapidly controllable operational movements for providing operatively associated servo drive mechanisms with rapidly and accurately controllable oppositely oriented incremental movements.